Photo 101: Let there be Light; Warmth would be nice, too

Do I understand the guiding words from Cheri in lesson nine of Photo 101, explaining the governing principles of Warmth and lighting in her world? I do. And with the sun shining brightly this March 12 day in my Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood, I carried hope of finding something outdoors bathed in direct and…

Johnny Depp hurt Down Under

So while in Australia filming the fifth edition of “The Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, Johnny Depp hurt his hand. I discovered this disconcerting news while compiling my weekly Film News blog posted every Thursday morning on the Syracuse New Times site. You can read where that revelation led me by clicking the link below.…

The spring melt on March 11 in Syracuse, N.Y.

Photo 101: A different view of nature

Today’s Photo 101 lesson eight plan from Cheri sent us on the hunt for nature. Big and small, lines that bend, she said. I had a trip to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse for a ticket purchase matter on my agenda, and kept my eyes open and my iPhone 6 ready. With the spring melt…

Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, legends, will be coming to Syracuse in July

The names were announced for this July’s M&T Syracuse Jazz Fest and the top two were huge. Aretha Franklin will be singing on Saturday night, July 18, on the rolling hills of the campus of Onondaga Community College, and Wynton Marsalis will lead the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra the night of July 17. That’s…

Two songs, too little air time for Syracuse’s ‘Voice’ rep

It was Two and No Thank You for Syracuse area singer Josh Batstone on “The Voice.” For the second song in a row, the teen singer from Fulton, N.Y., turned in a performance that was whittled down to less than a minute of NBC singing competition air time instead of the full-blown drama afforded the…

Photo 101: Putting big in a new daily scale

The big daily was a constant in my life for 29 years, five months. Yes, my nickname for my former place of employment and the paper that got tossed on the steps of the Little Bitty shared by my dear wife Karen and I here in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood crossed my mind…

Delivered after the old, cracked, overstuffed bin was collected.

Binished Fusiness

Blue Bin success. My weekly garbage and recycling collection this morning in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood came with a delivery on the back end. When my dear wife Karen left for work, she poked her head back into the Little Bitty and declared, “the new blue bins are here!” After two months of…

The bruise will remain on the Orange, no matter

The big and heavy anvil dropped from the NCAA sky and landed flush upon the head of the Syracuse community Friday. After nearly a decade of investigations regarding multiple instances of running afoul of its rules, intercollegiate sports’ governing body released a 94-page report that ripped into Syracuse Univerity officials over that period of time…

Photo 101: Everywhere you look, there’s a way to connect

Moments after you are born, somebody cuts the cord. Doctor, nurse, midwife, parent or friend takes scissors to sever the line that hooked you to your mother’s life-giving nourishment. After that, we spend the rest of our days making connections. Day One of Week Two of this Photo 101 class, Cheri sent out the message…

There’s no place like this older folks’ home

Dev Patel battled himself this weekend. Chappie the Robot vs. Sonny the retirement hotel keeper. Oh, yeah, the crazy business world inhabited by Vince Vaughn was opening, too, this weekend, a trio to choose from at the Regal chain in the mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex of Destiny USA. My dear wife Karen and…